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Frequently Asked Questions How do I get started to have surgery for weight loss? Contact our main office at (860) 246-2071 option #2. You will be asked for your height and weight to calculate your BMI (Body Mass Index). You will also be asked for your demographic information including your address, phone number(s), and insurance information. What do I need to do before my office appointment? Call to make your appointment for the office and the education session Before your office visit, you must fully complete all paperwork enclosed under Registration Forms on this site. You are required to attend one educational session held every Tuesday afternoon at the Conklin Building on the Hartford Hospital campus. Please contact Alba to arrange this. Call your insurance provider to determine whether you have a coverage for weight loss surgery whether you need a referral for your appointment, and for a copy of your policy. Bring a copy of your policy with you to your appointment. *It is advised that: You have a primary care physician (PCP) You do not smoke You bring medical records with you to your appointment. *We will work with you if you need a PCP, if you need to quit smoking, and if you need to obtain your medical records at the time of your first visit if this is not completed before your visit. Does my insurance cover weight loss surgery? Every individual has a specific policy outlining whether surgery for weight loss is included. It is the individual’s responsibility to contact their insurance provider to determine whether their policy covers weight loss surgery. Please refer to our insurance links for access through the web. Hartford Specialists does not accept Medicaid as a form of payment. Medicaid includes various Husky plans through the state of Connecticut. Please check your insurance card to determine the plan you have. Do you have a financing program available for out-of-pocket payers? Yes. Please contact our Billing Department to talk with our bariatric specialist at 524-2626. What is the process to surgery? After you have attended the educational session and had your initial office visit with one of the Hartford Specialists Bariatric providers, you will be responsible for completing the work-up toward surgery. The work-up may involve blood work, other diagnostic tests, and visits with other specialists including psychology/psychiatry, nutrition, cardiology, etc. One of the requirements is to attend a minimum of two (2) support group meetings, through our program, before surgery (Please refer to our list of support group meeting dates). Once all results show it is safe to perform the surgery, your case is submitted to the insurance company for authorization. On average, it takes approximately 3 months for individuals to complete the work-up phase. Once authorization is obtained, we will contact you to arrange a surgery date and for you to be seen in the office for your pre-op visit when the entire process is explained again in detail. If you are paying out-of-pocket, and not going through insurance, then a surgery date is made once the full payment is received. What is minimally invasive surgery? Minimally invasive surgery refers to a more technologically advanced approach to surgery. By performing the surgery laparoscopically, using small incisions to insert a laparoscope and other instruments, the patient is more likely to go home sooner and return to normal, daily activities faster. Incisions tend to heal faster and there is less scarring. With the laparoscopic (minimally invasive) approach, patients are less likely to have a wound infection or to develop an incisional hernia. What is the difference between Gastric Bypass and the Lap Band®? Both procedures are considered bariatric surgeries. Bariatric is an umbrella term used to describe different types of weight loss surgeries. Gastric Bypass is a type of bariatric surgery that is malabsorptive and restrictive. The Lap Band® procedure is another type of bariatric surgery that is restrictive. Each procedure aims to achieve the same goal, that is losing weight in order to resolve the health conditions you may have and to improve your quality of life. Please refer to our Procedures page for more detailed information on the differences between these two surgeries.. Is weight loss surgery reversible? Both the Lap Band® and the Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass are tools to be used for life. Though it is technically possible to remove the Lap Band® it is usually advised in rare or emergent circumstances only. What is life like after weight loss surgery? Life after weight loss surgery is different for each person. However, for most people life changes dramatically. Maintaining a healthy weight is a lifelong commitment and takes motivation, time, and energy. Living a healthier life is the goal and to do that some people re-evaluate what is truly important to them. For many, people realize that their health is a priority and improve their lifestyle. Read our Surgical Weight Loss Patient Guide for details on post-surgery diets and exercises. Why should I choose Hartford Specialists, affiliated with Hartford Hospital, for my surgery? Hartford Specialists is well-established and has a reputation for quality care Patient Safety Technologically advanced Individualized Care Patient stories and photos How much weight am I expected to lose after surgery? Expected weight loss with Gastric Bypass averages 70% of excess body weight. For example, if you are 100 pounds over your ideal body weight (perhaps you are 5’6” and should weigh 130 pounds but currently weigh 230 pounds), then the average amount of weight you will lose after surgery is 70 pounds, bringing your weight down to 160 pounds. The main goal of the surgery is to reduce or resolve your other health conditions or co-morbidities. Expected weight loss with the Lap Band averages 37-50% of excess body weight. For example, if you are 100 pounds over your ideal body weight (perhaps you are 5’6” and should weigh 130 pounds but currently weigh 230 pounds), then the average amount of weight you will lose after surgery is 50 pounds, bringing your weight down to 180 pounds. The main goal of the surgery is to reduce or resolve your other health conditions or co-morbidities. Information retrieved from Vaidya V. (ed): Health and Treatment Strategies in Obesity. Advances in Psychosomatic Medicine. Basel, Karger, 2006, vol 27, pp.53-60. What medications will I take after surgery? All medications need to be in a crushable, liquid, or dissolvable form for life. This reduces the chance for pills becoming stuck at the connection between your esophagus and stomach pouch. After surgery, patients take a multivitamin that contains iron and chewable calcium supplements every day for the rest of their life. Patients are required to work with their primary care provider (PCP) to have all other medications taken prior to surgery changed over to the appropriate form or adjusted as needed after surgery. Definition of Terms: Bariatric: treatment related to weight. Body Mass Index: an internationally recognized measurement of body weight in relation to height. Community Information Session: sessions held by one of the Hartford Specialists Bariatric providers in the community to raise awareness about obesity and surgery for morbid obesity. Registration is required through the Hartford Hospital referral line. Co-morbidity: two or more health conditions or diseases (for example, having obesity and diabetes as a comorbid condition). Dumping Syndrome: a combination of symptoms that occur after ingesting sugars; only occurs with malabsorptive procedures, such as the gastric bypass. Education session: a required 90-minute session before the first office visit: consists of a 35-minute video and then a talk by Dr. Tishler describing the lifelong program and process around surgery (group setting). Appointment required. Gastric bypass: restrictive and malabsorptive surgery for weight loss. Incisional Hernia: can occur after rapid weight loss part of the intestine pushes through weakened abdominal muscle, occuring at a previous incision site. Lap Band: restrictive surgery for weight loss, see www.lapband.com. Laparoscopic: the use of surgical instruments to make small incisions in the abdomen and to view the abdominal organs using video equipment; to perform minimally invasive surgery. Malabsorptive: prevents portions of the intestines do not absorb as many nutrients due to bypass. Minimally invasive: technologically advanced surgery using a laparoscope and other instruments to make smaller incisions. Post-op: After surgery. Pre-op: Before surgery. Restrictive: restricts the amount of food that enters the intestines or larger stomach. Support Group Meetings: free, monthly meetings designed to offer peer-to-peer support; first hour includes guest speaker discussing designated health topic. SWLP: acronym for Surgical Weight Loss Program

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